Summer’s in full swing and the smell of barbeque wafts through the air. Nothing says summer like a BBQ, with cold beer and good company. How can you ensure that your BBQ remains healthy while still delicious? Here are a couple of pointers to make sure it’s a hit for your friends and not for your health.

Colour and Timing:

Before you scoff at these “healthy” alternatives think about this. Food tastes better when it looks good. And parties are more fun when people mingle. Men always tend to get pounds and pounds of meat, and forget that veggies will spruce up all the charred meat on the menu. They’ll also keep hungry mouths fed. No more lineups behind the chef!

Choose Lean Meats:

Make sure to choose leaner options or leaner cuts. Search for steaks without fat marbling, or, read the nutritional label common to most hamburger, hotdog and sausage packages. Meats low in fat can help to reduce cholesterol levels, as well as preserve those 6 pack abs you’ve been working on all winter long.

Really impress your guests with homemade shiskabobs. Go to your local grocery store and buy some chicken, lamb or beef. Chop the meat into chunks and slide them onto skewers (nothing fancy, the standard ones will do). Every 2^nd chunk, add onions, tomatoes, or red, green and orange peppers. This’ll add flavour, colour, and serve more than straight up meat kababs.

Add a Homemade Salad:

The beautiful thing about salads is that they’re an expression of your creativity. Get baby spinach as a base, and toss in peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, apples, oranges or even various nuts.  It’s 2010, and “No Calories” no longer means “No Taste”. So go with the light version, no one will even notice the difference.

Sweet Potato Fries for a Side Dish:

If you love french fries as much as I do, the idea of hamburgers or hotdogs without them disgusts you. If french fries are a BBQ must for you too, think about choosing sweet potato fries. Make them fresh, or get them frozen, either way they’re an easy way to shave off some of the fat that plagues regular French fries. They’re also “in” right now. Hansel would approve.

Don’t Forget the Water:

Cold beers are great, but don’t forget the water. You’d expect it at a restaurant, so treat your guests with the same respect. It helps with digestion by fueling the metabolic reactions needed to process your delicious food. If plain water doesn’t do it for you, try adding lemon to it to add some flavor on a hot and humid day by the grill.

Choose Light Beer:

No BBQ’s complete without throwing back a few cold ones. You’d be surprised how many beers now are available in a “light” version. Just ask our resident beer guru, Stephen Rich!

Choose Frozen Yogurt over Ice Cream:

Finally, the best way to cap off a BBQ on a beautiful summer day is with some ice cream, right? I love ice cream, but recently I’ve made the switch over to frozen yogurt. It tastes delicious, is available in just as many flavours, and fulfills your ice cream craving without all of the added calories, fat and sugar.

What are your signature BBQ secrets?